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Saturday, August 9th, 2008
Justified, or not?
At work, I have a running debate with a woman regarding text justification. For months, I have been telling her that there is a time and place for every type of alignment. She is a firm believer that all text should be fully justified. Honestly, I think her opinion is based upon what her boss told her years ago. She can't seem to defend her argument more than, "I think that rough end looks bad."
My problem with full-justification is that your font, size and word choice can impact the final design. The long white rivers that run through justified text are distracting.
Any thoughts on left-, right-, centered-, or full-justified copy?
Justified, or not?
At work, I have a running debate with a woman regarding text justification. For months, I have been telling her that there is a time and place for every type of alignment. She is a firm believer that all text should be fully justified. Honestly, I think her opinion is based upon what her boss told her years ago. She can't seem to defend her argument more than, "I think that rough end looks bad."
My problem with full-justification is that your font, size and word choice can impact the final design. The long white rivers that run through justified text are distracting.
Any thoughts on left-, right-, centered-, or full-justified copy?
8 Comments
Dave Heinzel Saturday, August 9, 2008
Bill Saturday, August 9, 2008
Angi Saturday, August 9, 2008
LimeyGeorge Saturday, August 9, 2008
girlcarew Saturday, August 9, 2008
Sarah S. Sunday, August 10, 2008
Moobi Sunday, August 10, 2008 runt Sunday, August 10, 2008
1) Left-align with a jagged right edge is the default for me. If I was dealing with pages of text though, I'd consider full justification. Also if I had one single paragraph floating on a nicely-designed page, I might fully justify it. I guess the best practice is to use whatever fits the piece best. Saying one format is the best for everything doesn't make much sense.
Dave Heinzel Saturday, August 9, 20082) @Dave Heinzel: Basically my thoughts. Thanks.
Bill Saturday, August 9, 20083) As a teacher, all papers should be left-justified. Now, most published texts, like books, newspapers and other periodicals, have full justification, which works.
Angi Saturday, August 9, 20084) Horses for courses.
LimeyGeorge Saturday, August 9, 20085) Full justification is actually harder to read. I'm not sure if there are definitive reasons why this is true, but most studies indicate that it is.
girlcarew Saturday, August 9, 20086) According to MLA format, the text should be left justified (last I checked anyway). I know this doesn't affect everyone, but in the land of English term papers, it's essential to know.
Sarah S. Sunday, August 10, 20087) Just as a guess, I would venture that your co-worker's desire to justify everything comes from a touch of OCD. She likes things to look even and smooth. I doubt her reasoning has anything to do with technically correct usage.
Moobi Sunday, August 10, 20088) I have no clue what all of that means. lol I always just typed...never thought of that other stuff. I did have to center letterheads and such. Does that count?
runt Sunday, August 10, 2008Leave a Comment
